Still Into You
by redambition
Summary: Finn Hudson's band may be new to the headlines and adoring fans around the United States, but they were just catching up with what his biggest fan Rachel Berry had seen long ago. His Summer Tour would be her second chance, Finn Hudson was finally going to notice her.
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Glee or any of the characters involved.**_

_**Hello FF World, I have returned! Few things about this fic: This is not exactly canon, but there are some things that will line up. I've very recently become obsessed with the song "Still Into You" and immediately wanted to write sort of a Finchel take on it! This is the result of my obsession. I hope that you will enjoy! **_

Rachel Berry sat alone in her queen sized bed, gazing at the picture of the beautiful, dark haired man on the screen of her laptop. His charming smile lifted the right side of his face, and his eyes seemed to sparkle right at her, sending a storm of butterflies into her stomach, even through the slightly smudged screen of the computer. Then again maybe that had something to do with the fact that right next to Finn Hudson, 'drummer for the hottest new band 'McKinley Boys' who had already taken the industry by storm' stood Rachel, a beaming smile on her face as she looked up at him. She smiled softly as she reached out a finger, stroking the pad over his mega pixel face.

Rachel knew that it wasn't real, and she should get no sort of gratification from the gesture, but against all logic it managed to make her smile widen. She had photo-shopped this picture of the two of them together months ago when she found out that his band was going on tour and considered it a prized possession ever since. She had set the picture as her profile on Twitter so that each time she tweeted the boys there was a chance of them seeing it, he obviously hadn't so far though. So it was one of her plans to show the beautifully manipulated picture to him in person at a meet and greet and let him see firsthand how adorable of a couple they would make. Honestly, they both had beautiful dark hair, and his prominent cheekbones, perfectly shaped nose, and favorable skin complexion would cancel out her 'larger nose' gene and mix with her own features to make for gorgeous children between the two of them. He was bound to realize this when he finally saw the picture.

It just wouldn't be logical if he didn't.

She had been preparing for this tour for months now, saving every bit of money that her family afforded her; which was a generous amount when both of your dads were successful lawyers. Not to mention her own cash she had saved up from working at the local diner. She had earned a fair amount of tip money from singing happy birthday to the customers or any requests that were occasionally brought up from loyal guests (like her dads or Mr. Schuester). In any case, her summer budget was taken care of, and she had already scored the best tickets that she could find online. She just knew this summer would be the summer to change her world, to make everything fall into place the way they were supposed to. She would meet the man of her dreams again, if it took everything she had.

Finn and his band may be new to the headlines, and the adoring fans around the United States, but he was no new star to Rachel. She remembered the first time that she had seen Finn Hudson like it was yesterday.

She was a freshman at the time, walking down the hall of McKinley high school. She was clutching her books to her chest with her arms wrapped around them and herself tightly, trying to remain as invisible as possible from the group of jocks that were heading her way. They had a horrendously unfortunate habit of tossing slushees in her face for no apparent reason besides the fact that they felt superior enough that it should be tolerated. They knew nothing about her, not even her name probably, just that she was different from them, and that was good enough. It was always a danger when she saw any few of them walking around, but they were in a big group now, a surefire sign that trouble was coming. Unfortunately Rachel had just washed her hair and styled it the day before, and worn her new black turtleneck sweater; she definitely didn't want any of that ruined. She had actually used the spare outfit that was usually stored in her locker for such occasions just a few days before when the hockey team had decided to give her a slushee facial, so she really couldn't afford another attack so soon.

Out of the corner of her eye she watched as the jock on the edge closest to her, a heavyset guy with a buzzcut nudged the closest boy beside him, gesturing at Rachel. Her body tensed up as she clutched her books tighter, chanting '_please don't notice me_' in her mind. It quickly became apparent however that they _had_ noticed her and undoubtedly chosen her as a target since the boys hand holding the hidden large slushee started to rise. Rachel closed her eyes and took a deep breath, preparing herself for what was to come, there really was no use fighting it. Instead of feeling the icy cold sting across her cheeks however, she peeked over to find that another boy, a tall, dark haired boy with kind eyes now had his hand on her potential attackers forearm. His eyes weren't on Rachel, but instead on something or someone farther down the hallway; she definitely wasn't going to look back for fear that it was part of the trick. She chose to keep her eyes on the devastatingly handsome boy who had seemingly saved her, averting the others attention past her and onto whoever the new unfortunate victim would be.

Rachel had studied him hard that day, absorbing the chestnut color of his messy hair, the slight freckles that dusted his beautifully sculpted cheeks, his perfectly shaped mouth, his tall stature that dwarfed her own, but most of all she remembered his kind, warm eyes. He'd offered her the tiniest, yet somehow most heart squeezing of smiles as the group moved past her. She caught a whiff of his cologne in his passing as well, and of it's own accord her body had turned around to face his moving back.

The poor kid who actually received what should have been her facial, a small, well dressed boy who always made the mistake of wearing designer clothes to school at the worst of times, actually growled when he was hit by the icy beverage. From across the hall she could hear the jocks all guffawing loudly, taunting the boy even as they stalked away through the hall. All of them except one.

Her savior, the tall, kind eyed boy, had stayed a little farther behind the group. Her heart flipped as she watched him, bending down to pick up the boys bag which must have been spared from an ice bath. He handed the designer bag to the smaller boy, who was also frozen in what looked like shock, with a polite nod.

"Sorry dude" the handsome boy had whispered before shuffling away in the direction his friends had gone. Even his voice sounded like magic.

His simple, kindhearted actions that day had set him apart from the rest of the world for Rachel. From that day forward she was obsessed with the gorgeous boy, and the exact opposite of what she had been chanting moments before she laid eyes on him soon became her most desperate wish.

_Please notice me_.

She only saw him occasionally with the jocks at school after that, especially when he had taken the school by storm and joined the Glee Club. It was unheard of that the most popular Senior on campus, the quarterback of the school's football team would join a group of the most outcast kids at school; nobody had any idea why he would make such a bold and insane move. The whole situation had caused an uproar, but surprisingly days later a few of the other boys from the team had joined with him as well. Rachel had been wanting to audition for a while, but held off because of the nutcase director, Mr. Sandy, that ran the club. It was obvious that he was a closet case and only gave any solos to the boys in the club anyway. Now however, that the club had a new director, and her potential soulmate had joined up, she was even more set on becoming a part of that Glee Club and befriend the guy who had become the sole star of her dreams.

Her audition was very successful, but she had to suffer through a week of regular school days before Tuesday when the Glee Club was set to meet and rehearse. On her very first day of rehearsal, the day she'd dreamed of, after an hour of learning that Finn was easy on the eyes and ears, but most certainly not the most apt on his feet, her moment was stolen. When Mr. Schuester, the director, announced that the old disco song they had been rehearsing was what they were to perform before the school at the next assembly, it caused a bit of a panic for the boys. In fear that performing such an uncool song in front of the whole school would ruin their reputations once and for all, they had all left rehearsal that day and never returned.

The boys had formed their own band together outside of school when they learned that they each could play an instrument as well as sing. They became popular in the community, and it turned out Mr. Schuester even attended some of their rehearsals to help them get up on their feet. It wasn't long after that they had saved up enough money to move their band on the road. Months later and they were playing bigger and bigger gigs until they made it into the bright city lights of L.A. and hit the big time.

The McKinley boys were legend at McKinley high school; their story was recalled in every music class offered, and Mr. Schuester had posters of them up in his Spanish Class as well as the Glee Club classroom. Rachel lived off of those posters all through high school, Finn's drummer face distracting her from many a lesson in Spanish class as well as Glee Club rehearsal. She would never admit it to anyone, but some of her most passionate solos had been given while stealing glances at his picture up on the wall. It was like she was singing right to him through time and space, and each time that feeling shone through and added to her performance. This was the case all four years of singing in high school, her connection towards the boy in the pictures never wavering. No matter which boy at or outside of school showed her attention, which honestly, wasn't very often since she was very busy with school work and strengthening her voice, Finn was the only one that really made her heart smile. Anytime she saw a new picture of him online, or listened to his voice coming through her speakers, he stole the show for her.

Rachel had never given up on what the boys left behind of the club even though it ultimately never went far. Finn and the boys obviously saw potential in the club to join in the first place, and Mr. Schuester really helped her to nurture her voice, she was grateful for that. She held onto her dreams of becoming a singer, her ambition particularly strong since she had seen so closely the success that could come to small town people with big enough dreams, through none other than those boys.

Her dream _now_ that she had just graduated though, was to use the summer to regain the moment that had been stolen from her more than three years ago. She had purchased tickets to multiple shows on the boys tour, and had managed to score a couple of meet and greets as well. Everything was finally coming together. Somehow, Finn Hudson would finally notice her, there was no getting around it.

_**Thank you for reading! I hope that you are enjoying! **_

_**Not quite sure when I'll get to update, it's Finals week for me, but hopefully it'll be soon!** _


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Glee or any of the characters.**_

_**This is a very short chapter, and the story itself will probably be pretty short. I wanted to get this out though while I had the chance! Hope you guys enjoy!**_

Just knowing that beyond the walls of that stage stood the love of her life was enough to make Rachel want to sneak from her seat and go directly backstage to find him. Instead however, she resigned to fidgeting excitedly as she sat in her seat in the tenth row, waiting for the opening act to finish their set. Before long they were saying their thank you's and farewells and the stagehands came out to re-organize the stage. Rachel couldn't fight the squeal she released, her heart was racing and her palms were sweating as she realized just what that meant. For the first time in years, she would be laying her eyes on the real life Finn Hudson, not just a picture on a poster; she would be breathing the same air as him. Time seemed to drag on forever until she heard a familiar chord sounding through the air.

She shot out of her seat, stretching up on her tiptoes to more easily be noticed when she saw first Noah Puckerman, the lead guitarist walk out. He was followed closely by the pianist Blaine Anderson, and bass player Sam Evans. Her eyes filled with tears however, and a scream that rivaled those around her, tore through her throat when Finn himself walked out onto the stage. His trademark smile glowed as he raised a hand in the air, waving out at the audience. His eyes twinkled with excitement as he crossed back to the drums in his typical t-shirt, baggy shorts and ball cap.

Rachel didn't even register what Noah was now speaking into the microphone; her complete focus was trained on Finn and Finn alone. Her eyes followed him as he settled himself behind the drum set and picked up his sticks. Her face hurt from smiling so widely as she watched him adjusting the drums until everything was exactly where he wanted it to be. The other boys continued speaking and adjusting their instruments and Rachel found herself almost swooning when Finn began to laugh at something Noah had said. He was perfect, everything about him was absolutely, mind-numbingly perfect.

Rachel found her sense of herself finally when Finn gave the first cue, beating his sticks together, and the familiar sound of their hit song 'Fight for your right to Party' began. Rachel lost herself in the sound of the music, and noted with an extreme sense of pride that they sounded just as good live as they did on their tracks. She danced in place, unable to help herself, and belted out every single line of the song right along with them as well as 'Hot for Teacher' and the two songs following that.

By the end of the night she wondered if she would have trouble being able to speak the next day, or hear for that matter after all of the screaming around her, but it was totally worth it. She felt like she was floating on a cloud. Or she wished she was floating. The sky high heels she had brought to wear to these shows to ensure that she would be at her tallest and easier for Finn to notice; were now killing her feet. She sighed against the pain as Blaine's voice came through the speakers.

"Thank you guys so much guys, you've been a beautiful audience" Blaine called into his microphone, blowing a kiss out to the squealing crowd; guys and girls alike.

Noah, who had finished the song on his knees at the edge of the stage, was making inappropriate gestures to the girls in the front row before he stood to add to that comment. "I gotta say this _is_ one of the hottest audiences I've ever seen. In the words of my man Lil Wayne, 'I wish I could-"

"Get some popcorn" Finn cut in, hitting a quick comedic pattern on his drums before shooting a small glare at Noah; the audience erupted into laughter. "Seriously, I think every single one of you guys has been snacking on that popcorn all night long and it smells amazing."

Without a seconds thought, or care for her feet, Rachel shot out of her row and towards the concession stand to fetch some of the buttery treat for her man. This could be her chance! She wasn't alone in her planning however, since she was suddenly realized she was racing against a group of girls who apparently were thinking the same thing. For a short girl Rachel had some pretty long legs, and she fought her way through the crowd, having may or may not stepped on a few peoples toes with her narrow heels in the process. Finally she pushed through to the front, her eyes on the prize as she was the first to reach the concession stand.

Or at least she thought.

"I'll have one-" she started before the small girl, no older than twelve or thirteen, caught her attention. She had a large bag of popcorn in her hands, a victorious swing in her step, and was making a beeline straight for the stage.

If it wasn't for the fate of her most precious dream resting in the balance, she would have been deeply ashamed of what she did next.

Rachel raced away from the stand and towards the young girl about halfway to stealing Rachel's shining moment. She tapped the young girl on her left shoulder, and paused. Predictably, the girl looked to her left, so Rachel leaned over her right side, snatching the bag up and taking off at a sprint towards the stage.

"Hey!"

The squeal behind her didn't even register, the sense of victory rang to loudly in her ears. She squared her shoulders and rushed forward blindly, her eyes set on the prize ahead until she ran into a very broad chest, the word 'Security' stretching across the fabric.

Dammit.

"Hand over the popcorn ma'am."

"Excuse me" Rachel scoffed weakly, clutching the popcorn closer to her chest possessively.

"I saw what you just did. If the show wasn't over I might just kick you out for that." Rachel sputtered as she eyed the freakishly large man. The sinking feeling really started to sink in when he easily took the bag from her hands and handed it back to the young girl who had now reached Rachel's side. "You should be ashamed" the man, _Frank_ according to his name tag, added. She was too outdone, with both herself and the kid to respond when the young girl stuck her tongue out at Rachel. Matters were instantly made worse when she stomped on Rachel's already aching foot, to which _Frank_ had the nerve to chuckle about, before skipping off the rest of the way to the stage.

"Aww's" sounded around the space as the girl approached the stage, supplying the boys with their desired popcorn. Rachel scowled at Frank's retreating back, knowing that it was far too late to rush the stage now. The crowd was now dispersing and the boys had already cleared the stage with their treat.

The first night had officially been a failure.

She wouldn't let it dishearten her though, one thing Rachel Berry had, and had it in _full_, was determination. She still had three shows and two meet and greets left, and she would make the most of them. With a small pep talk to herself, Rachel hailed a cab and made her way back to the hotel for the night. Her sleeping arrangements were nice, she simply couldn't stand the idea of sleeping in some rat infested motel, so after a long luxurious shower Rachel crawled into her comfortable mattress and popped in her headphones. She closed the rest of the world out, as she lost herself in her music, singing along with every lyric. She stared out at the tower building directly in view through her window, idly wondering why one random block of a floor was painted a red color while the others were gray as she drifted off into a peaceful slumber.

* * *

Finn kept his head held low, the cap pulled down all the way as he entered the lobby of his hotel. He'd learned over the past few weeks how to sneak into them under the radar, he'd _had_ too. It was a much better alternative than sleeping on the tour bus with the guys.

It wasn't that he didn't want to be around his band mates, they were all awesome, but they also the perks of being a rock star to a level Finn had never quite been comfortable with. He could count on one hand the nights that Puck hadn't brought a random groupie, or three, back onto the bus with him and Finn had to sit through the "fun" he and even Sam sometimes had with them. He wasn't as lucky as Blaine to have a state of the art pair of noise blocking headphone things, he just had to suffer through. So yeah, it wasn't long before he realized it would be a whole lot easier to just book a hotel room rather than sleep on the tour bus.

Finn quietly navigated to his room, closed the door and stripped off the sticky clothes. He hurriedly took a shower, letting the hot water soothe his muscles after such a long day, and slipped into a pair of sweatpants before crawling onto the plush mattress. He rolled over onto his side, about to close his eyes when the tower outside caught his eye. His brow furrowed as he stared at the one red block standing out against the rest of the gray building. Who the heck was their painter? Were they drunk when they did that? Had they run out of paint?

He didn't have much time to think it over before he was struck still by a soft, melodic sound that seemed to be coming through the wall behind his head. Finn paused, forcing his breathing to slow as his ears strained to hear it again. As if on cue the sound started again, and he realized that it was a girls voice.

She was singing.

Finn felt a strange feeling in his chest as he rose slightly, angling his body diagonally to better face the wall. He couldn't describe the sense of peace that came over him as the beautiful notes pierced his ears, as well as his heart. It was weird, and sounded insane even to himself, but he didn't really have the energy to make sense of the disconcerting feeling. All he knew was that he could lay there all night listening to what surely must be an angel as his eyes began to flutter shut. He couldn't fight the spell the sound cast over him combined with the fatigue of such a long day, and moments later he was beginning to snore with a peaceful smile.

**_Thank you for reading!_**

**_Stay Tuned!_**


	3. Chapter 3

_**Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Glee, its characters, or any of the music included in this story. **_

The next day would be better she thought. Everything would fall into place.

It didn't.

What certainly seemed like descendants from Andre the Giant were seated directly in front of Rachel, hindering her line of sight to Finn, and most certainly preventing him from being able to spot her in spite of her weaving around and bouncing up on her toes. Then when she had attempted to sneak up to a closer row where there was an empty seat and fix the crappy hand she'd been dealt, she was met with the stern glare of none other than Frank the bodyguard. She had immediately shrunk back into her place, scowling profusely in his direction before settling her angry gaze at the back of the tallest girls in front of her's head, cursing her rotten luck and her heels for not boosting her up high enough. The only thing preventing her from losing hold on her steadfast determination, was the fact that the next show would be it for sure; she had a ticket for the meet and greet after the show! With a beaming smile Rachel skipped into her hotel room, showered up, thoughts of Finn heavy on her mind as she sang herself to sleep.

After a night of Finn-filled dreams that left her cheeks flushed even after waking, she pulled herself out of bed the next morning with a renewed vigor. Fantasizing about Finn was nothing new for Rachel; he was the only man she had wanted in that way since before she even knew what sex was, but for some reason last night had been especially vivid. It must have been her body knowing that today was the day she would come face to face with him, finally!

She got out of bed and appraised herself in the floor length mirror, noting her pinked cheeks and wildly tousled hair before approaching her wardrobe for the day. The plain, simple clothes just weren't catching up with the sexy way that she _felt _suddenly, and with a tut of her tongue she made her mind up as to what she should do to fill her day.

Rachel quickly showered and dressed before heading off to the nearest mall in search of a new wardrobe. She also wanted some higher heels to hopefully aid in avoiding the trouble she was met with the night before.

And maybe, just maybe, some new underwear too; just because.

* * *

Rachel was still buzzing as she stood in line for the meet and greet. The show had been amazing! The boys sang their hearts out unlike any night before. Puck ran a particularly impressive guitar solo during 'Hot for Teacher' and Finn had pounded away at his drums like his life depended on it, his voice ringing out among the others even more pronounced than usual. It had pierced Rachel right in the heart when his voice hit her ears, as it always did, but on a much more intense level. She wasn't ashamed to admit that there were a few tears shed.

She was bouncing in place in her new heels as she waited in the long line, adjusting her skirt. Her smile stretched for miles as she ran over the scenario in her mind. She had made up her mind that she would have to play their first meeting cool and not scare him away. It was no secret that she could be a tad bit intense; she'd debated with herself for hours two nights before, that admission being the only reason she ultimately decided to leave her photo-shopped picture back in her room rather than bring it for Finn to sign. Instead, she would simply look into his eyes, introduce herself and leave the rest up to fate. She couldn't explain it, but she knew it in her heart that it would work out.

Using her new heels to her advantage, Rachel peeked over the heads of the people in front of her, stretching on her toes to glimpse at the table where the boys were stationed. She scanned over Puck's mohawk, the curly hair of Blaine, and the (even from a distance) distinct mouth of Sam a few times, her brow furrowing.

Finn wasn't there.

The pronounced pout turned out her lips as she stayed in place, her eyes glued to the table as she continued to search for him. She almost screamed out her frustration as she realized what was happening. It was common for the boys to take turns at their meet and greets, one staying behind to take care of loose ends and ready the bus. She had just assumed that fate would be on her side and that Finn would be present for when it was her turn. Rachel's lips turned out in a wicked smile as she though, _the bus_. Maybe fate needed a little help.

Rachel nodded determinedly to herself nonchalantly and stepped out of her place in the line, scanning the area for any signs of Frank. Pleased with at least his absence, she walked around the side of the group, stealthily navigating her way out to the bus. Her eyes shined bright as she stared at the large bus, her heart pounding against her ribs. Sure, this would be a little extreme, but Finn could surely overlook that. How often did fans sneak out to bands buses, right? In the movies girls did it all the time, and managed to worm their ways in without creeping out the band.

She squared her shoulders and marched towards the large vehicle. Her hands were sweating, and her heart was about to lodge itself in her throat when she was stopped dead in her tracks by a deep voice.

"Not you again."

With a grimace Rachel turned around, spotting Frank coming out from the side of the bus.

"Ugh, not _you_ again" Rachel repeated, placing her hands on her hips with an annoyed frown. "How did you know?"

"It's my job" he answered with an infuriating smirk before pointing her back in the direction she had come.

"Sir, I know that you're doing your job, and a tip top job of it at that" she allowed tightly, more than annoyed with the way she'd been shot down at every turn. "However, would it be possible, just this once, to give a girl a break?" She smiled as sweetly as possible as the large man fixed his stare on her, crossing his arms. Encouraged, she hurriedly continued. "I paid for my meet and greet ticket just like everyone else, and I would like to get my money's worth. I can't do that when one of the members is inside this bus, can I?"

"Nope. But you can get the same money's worth as everyone else and get back in that line" he told her.

"But sir, _Frank_" she corrected, taking a tentative step closer to him. She held her head high as she began to toy with the low cut neck of her top, noting his eyebrow raising in slight amusement. "Couldn't we possibly come up with some sort of agreement?"

Her lame attempts at seduction didn't feel like they were going very far as she stared up at the man, unmoving from his position as his amused gaze stayed fixed on her. She was going to have to step it up a notch. Knowing that he was the only thing standing between her and that door, literally, she summoned every bit of confidence she could, channeling her inner wild child, to grab the bottom of her shirt. She chickened out at the last minute however, only raising the top and exposing her new Victoria Secret bra clad breasts to the man for about two seconds.

Her cheeks felt like they were on fire as she fought to keep her shoulders pulled back, staring expectantly at the man. This is how it went in the movies right? Boobs always worked; completely exposed or not! At least it was a hot new bra, that had to count for something right? Part of her wondered how Finn would react if he ever found out that she had flashed his bodyguard, and her cheeks burned even hotter at the thought. It felt like they burst into flames when she heard the loud, rumbling laugh erupt from the man before her.

"Nice try doll, but you'd have to have a lot more up there than that for your little stunt to have worked" the man said in between laughs before reaching out to pat her head like a puppy.

Rachel's eyes started to burn with tears, the embarrassment and fury too much all at once.

"Now get out of here before I call back up and ban you from the rest of the tour" he said, the patient smile on his face a contrast to the threatening words.

She scowled deeply at her new mortal enemy before whipping herself around, taking off at a sprint back in the direction she had come. Too upset to continue Rachel stopped at a bench, plopping herself down and cradling her head in her hands. Why did this have to keep happening to her? She pulled her knees up and braced her head against them, curling herself up into a slight ball as she lost herself in her crestfallen thoughts. All she wanted to do was meet Finn, that was it! Why did it have to be so freaking hard?!

She wasn't sure how long she'd been on that little bench, but she was suddenly snapped out of her thoughts by loud voices coming her way. When she recognized the loudest one, she squeaked and fell off of the bench right onto her behind.

"Man tonight was fucking rad!" Noah Puckerman called, throwing his arms around his two band mates Blaine and Sam. "Where are we going tonight to finish it off?"

"You all can go wherever you want, I'm going to stay here and catch up on _How I Met Your Mother_" Blaine announced with a laugh, removing Noah's arm from around him as Rachel watched, frozen in awe still on her butt on the ground. "I think Finn-"

"Is coming with us tonight" Noah interrupted. "He's been a total buzzkill the last two nights, he needs to go out!"

Rachel's brow furrowed as she processed his words. Finn, a buzzkill? There didn't seem to be anything off about him to her. In fact, he just seemed to be even more on his game with each passing show. What could Noah mean?

"Good luck with that" Blaine mused, a smile in his voice.

"I don't need luck, I'm his wingman, I know how to get shit done" Puck informed him with a cocky smirk.

"So where are we going man? We've been all over this city the last few nights. I really liked that one place, with the cute bartender. She seemed to like white chocolate too" he grinned. "I wouldn't mind hitting that up again."

"That was the Sugar Shack right? That manager came close to getting a taste of the Puckarone that night, it'd be rude not to go back and deliver" he shrugged, making a crude thrusting motion with his hips as they all laughed.

"Exactly why I'm staying in, _again_" Blaine said, rolling his eyes at his friend.

"Fine. Don't try and influence Finn to be lame too though, he hasn't wanted to spend a night out of that-"

Rachel was unable to keep up with the rest of the conversation, the words fading the farther the boys got away from her. Her brain was positively sizzling with the influx of new information, along with the realization that she'd just been so close to the members of the band that she held nearest and dearest to her heart. Her determination peaked again, Finn's smiling face in her mind driving her desire, and without a second thought she jumped up from the ground, dusting herself off and rushing out to the public parking lot to reach her car.

There was nothing keeping her from the 'Sugar Shack', whatever it would take!

_**Thanks for reading! Hope you're enjoying!**_

_**Stay Tuned! Update coming as soon as I can get it out, and yes you will get more of Finn's POV!** _


	4. Chapter 4

_**Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Glee or any of the characters involved.**_

_**I cannot post this chapter without giving a HUGE thank you to firewifesara. She has guided me through all of my scatterbrained thoughts, and helped me more than I can even say. This chapter likely wouldn't have come without her, so thank you Sara! If you haven't checked out her awesome work you should, she's working on something great right now.  
**_

* * *

Finn wasn't a freak.

He prided himself on being one of the most sane in his group, which is why he felt extremely silly holding a glass up to his wall and pressing his ear to it in order to better hear the angel on the other side sing. It was incredibly weird, invasive even, but he just couldn't pull himself away from the glorious tones that poured through.

If any of his friends could see him right now he'd never hear the end of it. He was supposed to be this big rock star now, a stud running out with his friends hooking up with any girl he wanted. But all he _really_ wanted to do was sit right there, listening to the pure, captivating sound mere feet away from him and fantasize about the girl behind it. If he were like Puck, he would walk right over there, knock on her door and find out for himself, but he just couldn't bring himself to do so. He would never admit it aloud, but he was kind of terrified. What would he say, "_hey, I've been stalking you from right next door through the wall the last few nights, you have an amazing voice. Wanna get some coffee_?" Somehow he didn't think that was the best way to hook a girl.

Finn knew all too well what it was like to be approached by a crazy person who was obsessed with you. He'd become kind of desensitized to it after the first few months of touring and all. Women tossed themselves at him left and right and sometimes in the weirdest over the top ways, and while it had been overwhelming at first, he soon came to see the flattery in it. He knew that they weren't _actually_ crazy deep down, hell, he would probably freak out if he ever met Robert Downey Jr. in real life, so he could kind of understand. Fact is, if he happened to walk out of this room at the same time as the mystery goddess next door, and she was as beautiful as her voice, he would probably dissolve into crazy fanboy status too.

The thought struck him just how possible that scenario was, and Finn quickly forced himself to put down his glass, rushing over to his mirror to check his appearance. Exhausted, he had taken a long hot shower as soon as he got to his hotel, remaining in only his boxers for bed. Thankfully it had been his turn to sit out of the meet and greet section after the show, giving him time to run out to the tour bus to collect himself and ready things before he could head off to the hotel. His bodyguard actually told him just as he was leaving that some fan had crept out to the tour bus looking for him while he was there. It was a little strange knowing that they had gotten so close, but he shrugged it off; it wasn't the first nor the last time a fan would do that.

Shaking his head of the errant thoughts Finn rushed over to his closet, snatching up a descent looking shirt and pair of pants to throw on. If he was going to stage a run in with the mystery girl next door, he was going to look good. He wondered if she would know him or recognize him at all, it would certainly make things easier if she did. Then again, either way, a dude you've never met casually sitting outside your room probably wouldn't look to good no matter who he was.

Finn was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't notice that the voice was no longer bleeding through the wall. It only caught his attention when he heard a rapt knock on his door.

"Oh my God" he whispered, freezing in his place as he stared at the door. His head swiveled between it and his door, his brain putting two and two together. Could it be?

"Jus, just a second" he choked, smoothing down his shirt and running a hand back through his hair. What the hell was wrong with him? He was acting like a fourteen year old girl.

Finn squared his shoulders, shaking his head to clear his ridiculous behavior and took a deep breath before swinging his door wide open. He couldn't help the disappointment that settled into his bones when his eyes landed on Puck, pushing his way into his room.

"Good, you're ready to go. I was scared I was going to have to wrestle you out of here" he said, patting Finn on the shoulder and tugging down on his baseball cap. At least he had the good sense to come slightly disguised.

"What? No, I was just uh, about to shower and go to bed" Finn told him, shutting the door quietly as he tried to ignore Puck's disbelieving stare.

Finn had been broken down and told his friends about the girl next door the day after he'd first heard her voice. She'd been stuck in the front of his mind ever since, and it wasn't long before they started noticing him daydreaming throughout the day.

"Bullshit. You were creeping on that chick again, weren't you" Puck said, narrowing his eyes before approaching the closest wall. It wasn't actually even the right side, but Finn wasn't about to correct him.

"Dude, I'm just really tired. That was a big show we did tonight, I need to wind down."

"You need to be winding back up with your boys Finnessa! We're only in the city for another day, we gave an _awesome_ show and we want to celebrate" he whined, as Finn avoided eye contact, giving an exaggerated yawn. "Come on bro, we haven't all been out together in a while, we even got Blaine to come! You can be weird and have your freaky little love connection with _her_" he punctuated, giving a slight tap to the wall, "the girl you're to afraid to even _make a move on_, later. It's boys night."

Finn frowned at the end of the speech, knowing that his best friend had a point. They continued their loaded stare until Finn finally surrendered with a small groan. He walked over to his bedside table to retrieve his keys, wallet, and his own cap, ignoring Puck pumping his fist in victory. "Fine, let's go. But I'm not staying out with you guys all night, some of us actually like sleep."

"Damn that was easy" Puck grinned, wrapping an arm around Finn's shoulders as they exited the room.

Finn chuckled, rolling his eyes as they passed by the room next door. In spite of himself, he couldn't resist staring at it as he passed, wishing that she might walk out.

* * *

"Whoooo!" Puck cheered from his seat, his eyes glued to the leggy dancer in front of him, her exposed breasts just inches from his face.

Finn shook his head with a low chuckle, watching as the woman moved in front of him, her movements becoming even more pronounced with every bill Puck tucked into her underwear.

He had no idea that the 'Sugar Shack' Sam and Puck had been so excited about was indeed a strip club, but he wasn't surprised. They made it sort of a thing to hit up at least one strip joint in every city they went to; he thought they might be making a list on which cities had the hottest girls. He didn't mind all that much, a woman's body was nothing new to him, he could certainly enjoy it, and their security always manned the front so no 'crazies' could get in. So he sat back, took slow swigs off of his beer and took in his surroundings. Puck of course was wrapped up in every dancer that came his way, blowing any and all the cash in his pocket between them and his beers. Sam and Blaine on the other hand, were by the bar. Blaine appeared to be immensely interested in something on his telephone, while Sam chatted up the pretty bartender. They all seemed to be in their own little worlds.

So much for boys night.

He could be sitting in the comfort of his hotel room, away from the smell of smoke and liquor, wrapped up in the velvet that was _her_ voice. His thoughts of course rushed straight back to his neighbor, and he barely realized that a dancer had approached him as his mind wandered. The blonde girl swiveled her barely contained hips right in front of him, but he could hardly focus on her body. Instead, his eyes moved to her face, taking in the details for the first time. She was a fairly pretty girl baring a hard expression, with pale skin, and angular features. He couldn't imagine the angelic voice that filtered into his mind uninvited coming from those lips, and he was immediately even less interested in the girl in front of him. With a low groan, he sat up from his seat and took off towards the bathroom.

It wasn't the cleanest bathroom he'd ever been in, but it wasn't the dirtiest either. He walked into one of the stalls, locked the door and took a seat, pulling out his cell phone. There was no one in particular that he wanted to call or text, he just needed a distraction from the irrational thoughts that plagued his mind. It was still swirling with thoughts of the voice, and the alcohol in his system was only strengthening his irrational desire to rush to the hotel, knock on her door, and beg her to sing him to sleep in person. He knew that would be the opposite of helpful though, so with a resigned sigh he started to flip through his apps until he found 'don't tap the white tiles' and attempted to beat his high score.

* * *

When Finn finally came out of the restroom, he was met with the amused stares of quite a few people. Confused, he made his way over to where Puck was sitting, talking animatedly with Frank, Sam and a now interested looking Blaine.

"What's up guys?"

"You missed it dude" Puck said, still laughing with the other men.

"What?"

"Some crazy chick just showed up trying to get in here. She was calling your name and shit, you didn't hear her? _Finn, Finn! I'm your biggest fan, please let me in_" Puck mimicked in an unflattering high pitched tone.

Finn only shook his head as he plopped down in his seat.

"She was almost wrestling Frank trying to get in here. I gotta give it to her, to be such a tiny thing she seemed strong, and _quick_" Puck said as Frank nodded with a rumbling chuckle.

"So you saw her?"

"Yeah. When I heard her I went over to check her out and see if the hot outweighed the crazy cause ya know, you're my boy. She was sneaky hot that one, I'll give her that, but her rack was lacking." Frank again nodded firmly along with Puck, and he released a small chuckle at their antics.

"It was the same girl I told you about from the bus earlier. She's a little firecracker that one, Berry something, or something Berry."

"Batshit Berry" Puck offered, grinning as the rest of them started to laugh at his title for the girl.

"Do you really think she's a psycho" Blaine asked, his attention focused on the new drama.

"Nah, she's harmless really. Well, unless your a young girl with a bag of popcorn." The four boys shared a confused look, but Frank just chuckled and waved his hand in dismissal. "Regardless, I warned her early on that if she got out of line again I was going to have to ban her, so after tonight I was left with no choice."

"She can't come to any more shows" Sam asked.

"No, she can come to the show tomorrow, she pleaded for that, but she's restricted from the meet and greet afterwards. She'll have to be refunded for her ticket, but it had to be done."

The boys all nodded at Frank's words, and just like that the issue was dropped. "You boys enjoy the rest of your evening, let us know when you're ready to head out."

"Alright" they called in unison.

"So, ya think Batshit Berry ruined your chances with any of the dancers, or you ready to take a go at it" Puck asked, eying the topless women throughout the room.

"That's not cool dude, you don't even know her" Finn defended weakly. He wasn't sure why he felt the need to defend the crazy girl stalking him, maybe because of the insane, obsessive crush he was harboring on his own neighbor that he hoped to press his ear to the wall and hear from soon. He could _kind of_ sympathize with the poor girl, whoever she was, but ya know, from a distance.

"Hey, she made her bed she has to lay in it. Course you could still track her down and lay in it with her, she _was_ sneaky hot. Actually, the more I think about her the hotter I remember her."

Finn simply rolled his eyes, quickly deciding that the best way to ignore his best friends rambling was by distraction. "I'll be surprised if you remember any of this tomorrow, slow down on that whiskey" he chuckled, nodding towards the glass in Puck's hand.

"Not all of us are pansy asses when it comes to holding liquor" he shot back, ignoring Finn as his eyes continued to survey the room. "Dibs" Puck declared seconds later, his eyes locked on the sultry Latina dancing in the corner. "You coming with? Maybe she has a friend."

"Nah dude, you go ahead, I'll take one for the team" Finn supplied with a nod, more than happy that his friend would be distracted so he could finally return to his hotel where the one girl he _was_ interested in should be. He watched happily as Puck took off towards the girl, plopping down in the seat nearest to her so she could begin a new dance.

After making sure that Puck could ride home with Blaine and Sam, Finn rushed out to his car to make his way back to his hotel, praying that the girl wouldn't be asleep by now; he'd become familiar with her sleeping habits, but only because they usually went to bed around the same time and this was a lot later than usual. Finn ignored how creepy that sounded in even his own head, distracting himself with the realization that he truly knew nothing about this girl. He longed to know more about her; what she looked like, her favorite things, where she learned to sing, what she liked to do in her spare time other than capture men under the spell of her angelic voice. He might not be close to knowing any of those things now, but eying the short man standing at the desk of the lobby he realized there was one detail he could find out that might set him on that path.

"Hi! excuse me" Finn called, drawing himself to his full height as he hurriedly approached the front desk.

"Yes sir, how may I help you" the clean cut, sandy haired man asked, smiling patiently at him.

"I just had a um, question. About the uh, the people here."

"Is there any way you could clarify for me sir, I'm afraid I'm not following."

Finn rubbed the back of his neck as the other man stared at him critically, as if he were some crazy drunk who just showed up any hour of the night making ridiculous demands or something. Cringing inwardly at the realization that was in fact kind of what he was doing, he shook his head and continued. He'd come too far to turn back now.

"I'm staying in room 932. I was wondering if you could maybe, possibly, um tell me the name of my neighbor in 931."

"What is your reason for this request sir? Do you have a problem, a noise complaint? We could-"

"No!" Finn almost yelled, terrified of the thought that they would make her stop singing, or worse, move her! "No, no it's nothing like that. I just, I wanted to know her name for..." Finn paused, straining his brain to think of a legitimate sounding excuse as the man stared at him with a raised brow. "Look it's just really important okay" he begged, clapping both hands on the counter before him in desperation.

"Her_?"_

"Um, well yeah.." Finn whispered, looking down at the counter to avoid the man's judgmental stare.

"Well, I'm sorry _sir, _but it's against hotel policy to disclose that information. If there's nothing else I can help you with, goodnight."

Finn's lips pressed together tightly as he leveled the frowning smaller man. He was taking this all the wrong way; Finn was no creeper or pervert, he just wanted to know the girls name so he could type it into Instagram, or Facebook, or Google or something and find out what she looked like and get a sense of her personality without having to resort to waiting outside her room like some weirdo!

How was this dude not seeing that?

Finn was losing patience with the judgmental little man when the light bulb finally went off. Of course this man wouldn't help him out, he obviously hadn't recognized who he was. Finn quickly looked around to make sure there was no one else in the lobby before removing his ball cap and sunglasses. He ran a hand back through his air propped his elbow up on the counter. A barely there look of recognition crossed the man's face as Finn mimicked his patient smile from earlier.

"I don't know if you recognize me. I'm Finn Hudson, drummer for the McKinley Boys" he announced proudly, using his best '_I'm a rock star give me what I want_' attitude that Puck used so often. "Now that we're better acquainted, _Ted_, he added, looking at the man's name tag, "I'm sure you can help me out, right buddy_?"_

"I can help you to our Security's holding room if you continue to be a problem _Mr. Hudson" _he said, shooting Finn a smirk of his own. "I'm not stupid. I see enough of you rockstars sneaking around, I know what you're like, how you treat women. I have half a mind to change your room assignment from whoever that poor girl is."

"What?! No! I wouldn't, I don't-" Finn sputtered wildly as his plan backfired in his face.

"I don't need to hear it sir. I will most certainly not be supplying the information you've requested, and I must insist that you not bother your neighbor or I _will_ call security. Now, goodnight" the small man said dismissively, his lip curling up in disgust as he eyed Finn while his hand remained on the telephone. Some part of his mind registered that he could take the little guy, but he knew that it would be more harmful than helpful. He only had one night left in this hotel, he wasn't going to spend it in a holding cell away from the girl and her voice.

Finn raised his hand in surrender before pulling back on his hat and shades, then trudged off to his room. Tonight had been a massive failure. With a large frown he stripped down to his underwear and fell into the soft sheets and plush material of the mattress. He buried himself in the sheet and rolled over onto his side, a now ritual as he waited for the melodic voice to flow through the other side of the wall.

He heard nothing.

Finn closed his eyes and strained his ears to better focus in on the room. He waited, and waited, and waited, nothing. His anxiety started to peak, and soon he was up on his knees, the whole side of his face pressed flat against the wall as he listened. Could she be gone? Had the front desk called her and warned her about her freaky neighbor? He sank down onto his back, rubbing the sides of his face roughly as he squeezed his eyes shut. He just felt so empty all of a sudden without her voice there, her presence.

Knowing there was nothing he could do, Finn slung the pillow over his face to stifle his groan and attempted to forget about the girl. He had been sleeping fine his whole life up until now, he would be fine.

_He wasn't_.

Finn tossed and turned for hours, rustling his sheets around and getting tangled in them repeatedly. It took a while, but when he finally fell into a fitful sleep, his dreams filled with the memory of the melodic voice that he would likely never hear again.

_**Where is Rachel? Did they miss their chance?! Stay Tuned! Thank you for reading!**_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Glee, any of the characters, or lyrics used in this story. **_

_**Again, GIGANTIC thank you to firewifesara! #mypartnerincrime #yesIdidhashtag #hashtag**_

* * *

"You mean to tell me you _actually_ got that close, and you _didn't_ give Blaine Anderson my number?"

Rachel rolled her eyes at the teasing voice of her closest friend Tina. "You're really not helping."

"Honestly, I can't believe you were so close to them, _breathing their air_" she mocked through the speaker of Rachel's phone.

"Yeah well, all but the one who really matters" she groaned, stripping off her camisole as she prepared for her shower. She'd spent the majority of her ruined evening in the downstairs lobby at the piano, too anxious and upset to retire to her room. By the time she had finally felt tired enough to go up to rest, it was about six a.m. In turn, the beginning of her day had been spent lounging around sadly in her hotel room until she finally roused herself enough to prepare for the last concert. It was her last chance to see Finn, and in spite of the fact that her meet and greet had been taken, she was going to go and hope for the best.

"You're actually really upset about this, aren't you" she asked, her voice much gentler this time. "Rachel Berry, you can't-"

"Don't start with the lecture Tina, you know how much this meant to me" she sighed, grabbing her toiletries and walking into the bathroom.

"I do, but come on Rachel, even you had to know that it was crazy to think something would really come from this trip. Finn Hudson isn't the gorgeous but slightly unattainable golden boy of McKinley anymore, he's a rock star."

"But he's still _Finn_" she cried, dropping her bag down on the ground. "Is it so crazy to wish for your biggest dreams? To really aspire towards everything your heart wants even though it's unconventional?" Tina sighed deeply on the other end of the line, but she continued through her rant before he could interrupt her. "I don't think it makes me crazy to believe in dreaming, or epic love that can come from it okay, those are the things that matter the most in life, the drive that pushes us! What kind of life would it be to just accept the way things were and never try for the impossible, to reach beyond your limits?"

"A normal one Rachel, a sane one" Tina cut in. "But I do understand what you mean. Whether we admit it or not we all have those dreams, but that's all they usually are; dreams. Now, as your best friend it's my job to remind you when you're being insane which I've done, but it's also my job to support you wholeheartedly. So, I'm wishing you the best of luck. Call me when you leave tonight, I actually miss you."

Rachel giggled at her friends surprised tone, rolling her eyes once again. "Thank you Tina, I really needed that, all of it. But for future reference I prefer ambitious, not insane."

"Uh-huh, whatever you say" she drawled, making her giggle again.

"I hate you."

"Love you too."

With that Rachel ended the call and laid the phone on the counter. The call with her friend had done it's job in rejuvenating her spirit, and she smiled as she shed the rest of her clothing to step into the shower. The lyrics to Mariah Carey's _Dreamlover_ fell from her lips as she started to lather up her skin, each note growing stronger as she pictured her real dream lover in her mind.

By the time she finished her shower, she was surprised that she hadn't received a noise complaint from any of her neighbors. The worry became even heavier when she heard a loud knock coming from her door. Rachel flung a towel around herself, clutching it tight to her body as she hurriedly approached the door, an apology on her lips.

* * *

Finn had been up and down all morning and into the afternoon, alternating between taking cat naps and trying to talk himself into getting up and being productive. In the end, laying down and dreaming of the girl who got away with her voice usually won out. He had finally pulled himself out of the bed though, showered off, and was getting ready to head to the venue to escape the now depressing hotel, when he heard it.

He froze mid-step, his ears straining slightly until he moved towards the wall. The glorious voice that he'd thought lost came through, but it was muffled. Finn pressed himself further against the eggshell colored wall, overjoyed when the voice grew louder and stronger. He was grinning like a fool by the time she finished her first song and launched into the second. He stood there soaking it all up, completely content to listen from afar, until he realized that he wasn't.

"What the hell am I doing?" Finn said, slapping himself on the forehead.

He'd just spent all night, and a large part of his day in a huge funk over the idea of missing out on this girl. He has the fortune of finding out that he was wrong, that she was indeed still here, and he was going to resign to sitting on the sidelines and letting her slip away for real?

"Hell no" he said aloud, trying not to think about the fact that he'd pretty much just had a conversation with himself, and should maybe look into a therapist. This was his last day sharing a hotel with this girl, and there was no way he could let it slip by, he'd never forgive himself for it, that much he was sure of. Before he could chicken out, Finn snatched up his keys and raced out the door, coming to a stop at his neighbor's. He took deep breaths, trying to steady himself as he leaned forward and much harder than he'd expected, probably because of the nerves, knocked on the door.

It felt like years before he heard the sound of hurried movement on the opposite side, and his stomach was turning itself in knots. His throat knotted up as well when the tiny brunette beauty swung open the door in front of him. He was well aware of how far down he had to look at her, and he would claim that as the reason that his jaw was hanging open. She really was tiny, almost a foot shorter than him, with thick, wet brown hair spilling over her shoulders and beautiful wide brown eyes that were staring up at him.

"Finn?" was all he heard in that soft, melodic voice before those beautiful eyes started to flutter, and she fell. He had no idea his reflexes were so fast, but he stepped forward into the room and managed to catch the tiny girl as she slumped.

She _definitely_ knew who he was.

His heart swelled with pride as he cradled her petite form close to his own. Call it creepy, but he couldn't just let her fall, right? Besides, the only _real_ creepy thing about it was the fact that she was only dressed in a thin white towel, and the way she had fallen in his arms, it was dangerously close to sliding off. Finn steadied her in one arm, and used to other to quickly grasp the towel tighter, ensuring that it wouldn't slip off. Once everything was secure he looked down to study the face that he'd spent so much time dreaming about, and he _really_ liked what he saw. The tips of his fingers came up to brush across the smooth skin of her cheekbone, cupping it slightly. Immediately, probably now aware of the creepiness around her, the small girl started to stir. Her deep brown eyes fluttered open, landing on him and widening again.

"Please, _please_ don't scream, the front desk guy might actually send me to jail or something" Finn blurted, feeling his cheeks redden at the way it sounded paired with the position he was holding her in. To anyone on the outside looking in he probably really looked like a creep. With that in mind he reached behind him to push the forgotten door the rest of the way closed before hesitantly looking back down at her. He couldn't help but notice the softness in the brown pools looking up at him, noting the lack of fear in spite of his freakish behavior. He watched her gulp before she finally spoke again.

"Finn? How are you...what are you...I-" her stuttering in that glorious voice, and the rosy tint to her cheeks was making his heart jump around in his chest, and his mouth started to speak on it's own.

"You sound like an angel, and I had to meet you."

"You heard me" she whispered, never moving from his embrace.

Finn nodded. "I hear you every night." At her confused expression, he quickly backtracked. "Wow that came out a lot creepier than I meant for it to" he sighed, slowly righting her up into a standing position. Thankfully she realized her state of undress, and was clutching to the towel wrapped around her tightly as he maneuvered her. She was seemingly not bothered by his comment as she continued to stare up at him.

"Is this real life?" Finn nodded again, too afraid to speak again and embarrass himself in front of the small beautiful girl. "I just can't believe it, I'd almost given up hope on meeting you again and here you are, like a dream. Is this really real?" she added, pinching herself on the forearm.

Finn chuckled at her tiny 'ow' before he realized the implication of her words. "Wait, again? We've met? Why don't I remember that" he questioned aloud, eying her features. Surely he'd remember someone like her, she had a very distinct look about her that he was sure he couldn't forget. Her image was burned into his brain after just the two minutes they'd shared.

"Well, technically I guess not. We umm, we actually went to high school together, while you were at McKinley."

"Really?" Finn's brow furrowed as he went back through the memories in his mind, searching for her face. "It's been such a long time, I barely remember anything about high school besides the fact that I was surrounded by tools going nowhere fast."

"But you weren't. You were always better than all of them. You probably don't remember it, but you saved me from a slushee facial once...you've kind of been my hero ever since" she admitted, a dazzlingly bright smile gracing her angelic face as she looked up at him. He could almost feel the joy radiating from her, like it was literally infecting him as he grinned back at her. "I've always wanted to thank you."

"I can't believe I don't remember you...you're so _beautiful_" he whispered, noting her wide, doubtful eyes. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, I'd certainly call this making it up to me" she beamed, a devastatingly beautiful blush staining her cheeks.

"I feel really bad. I'd love the chance to make it up to you further" he told her, noting her white knuckles as they held onto the towel still wrapped around her. "Shit, that came off really forward didn't it? I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable or like, scare you off or anything."

"Scare me off" she almost scoffed. "You're joking, right?"

Finn smiled widely at the girl as she fidgeted in front of him. She had such a unique sense about her; oozing confidence through her voice and enthusiasm, while all at the same time radiating vulnerability.

"To be honest I was actually kind of terrified when I showed up at your door that you'd call security on the creep who'd been listening to you sing through the wall." He watched as her eyebrows scrunched in confusion, tucking away the thought of how adorable it was so he could explain himself. "Right, I should probably clear that up. Umm, I've been staying next door in room 932 the past few nights, I usually uh, well, I've kinda been falling asleep to your singing. You're really really good..." He watched the small girl blush beautifully, a large smile spreading her smooth lips and he shook his head at himself. "I'm pretty much confessing audio stalking you and I don't even know your name."

"Rachel, my name is Rachel" she grinned brightly, extending a hand to him.

Finn quirked a brow at the formal gesture, but nonetheless reached out to grip her tiny hand in his own. The pad of his thumb started to stroke the silk that was the skin of her hand as his eyes burned down into hers. The electricity oozing out of her skin into his, and the lack of clothing on her part was catching up to his mind fast as he quickly released her hand. "Uh, well Rachel, I'll let you get back to whatever you were preparing for" he said reluctantly, trying to convince his muscles to turn around and let the girl get dressed.

"I was actually getting ready to go to your show, I've been every single night" she announced proudly. "I already knew that you were immensely talented, but I must say your performances have been amazing to watch live Finn."

"Thank you Rachel" he said, the sound of his name passing through her lips now his favorite thing in the entire world, next to her singing of course. "How would you feel about maybe, riding there with me? We could um, talk and get to know each other better" he added, rubbing the back of his neck as he waited for her answer, hoping she didn't think this was all too weird or too fast.

"Seriously?" At Finn's eager nod, she literally bounced in place. "I would love that! Just give me a few minutes to get ready" she squealed, turning around quickly to grab her things and head back into the bathroom. She stopped right at the doorway, looking back at him almost as if to make sure that he was still there.

"Take all the time you need Rachel, I'll be right next door" he smiled, turning on his heel to exit the room.

* * *

Rachel was beyond giddy. She was floating on a cloud from the moment that Finn Hudson had knocked on her door and literally made her see stars. She couldn't even be embarrassed about the fact that she had fainted on him, because everything had been absolutely perfect. He was every bit the sweetheart, and gentleman that she always knew he was, and he exceeded every expectation she had of him.

That was saying a lot.

After the initial shocking introduction, Rachel found it was incredibly easy to talk with Finn. He had such a sweet, open sense about him that didn't intimidate her at all. He was so kind and funny, and she hadn't quite wrapped her mind around the fact that he himself seemed to be starstruck by _her_. When _Don't Go Breaking My Heart_ had come on the radio, she immediately started to sing along. She felt his eyes on her as she soared through the notes, and about halfway in (at her urging) he had joined in singing along with her. She was very pleasantly surprised at the way their voices melded together to create a beautiful harmony, and even more thrilled when by the final note their hands had come to rest together over his center console, his fingers laced through hers. They'd stayed that way for the entirety of the drive.

After a wonderful show of Finn singing directly to her at many points, and filled with what she was fairly sure had been 'eye sex' between the two of them, she was bouncing around and full of energy. He had instructed her not to stray far so that they could talk after the meet and greet, so she took off towards the bench that she'd taken refuge at the night before as she waited. She'd been waiting for a while, running the events of her day through her mind, and contemplating what would happen next when she heard a voice approaching her. Rachel's head snapped up at the sound, and even the sudden sight of Frank couldn't wipe her now permanent grin off of her face.

"I thought I made myself clear yesterday, I really didn't want to have to kick you out."

"No" she squeaked, jumping up from her perch. "I'm not trying to sneak into the meet and greet, or even the bus this time, I swear. I'm just waiting on a friend" she added with a bright smirk.

"Sure you are Ms. Berry" he said, rolling his eyes. "None of your tricks have worked this far, what makes you think they'll start now?"

"I assure you Mr. Frank, this isn't a trick. I won't deny that my behavior this week has been a bit, mischievous, but I'm honestly not up to anything now. I'm actually glad you showed up" she continued, watching as he folded his arms over his chest. "You really are very good at your job, it's nice to know that Finn and the boys have such a steadfast, dedicated guard watching out for them" she said, offering him a genuine smile.

Rachel knew that she could be kind of crazy and obsessive, but the idea of any other random girl with not so innocent intentions trying the things that she had to get close to Finn now made her extremely uncomfortable. It eased her nerves to know that Frank would be there, squashing any potential girls trying to snag Finn. She idly wondered if she should be feeling such a sense of possessiveness over Finn so soon as she watched the large man blanch slightly, his eyes scrunching together as he worked out how to take her compliment.

"Speaking of which, who's out there at the meet and greet table with them now making sure no overzealous fans like myself get to them?" Rachel said, attempting to lighten the mood. She watched his eyes widen, before narrowing in suspicion at her and she burst into laughter. "I'm joking Frank, lighten up. They're right behind you." The man turned and sure enough Finn was sprinting towards them.

"Sup Frank" Finn said, his eyes never leaving Rachel even as he greeted the other, speechless man.

"You were _amazing_ tonight Finn! I-"The words died on her tongue when he swept her up, his strong arms curling around her and pressing her against his chest. She abandoned her compliment, hugging him back in earnest, grinning madly as he squeezed her.

"Thank you" he breathed, when he finally pulled back. "I'm so glad you were here, and you know, that I actually knew it."

His eyes shone down into hers, before trailing down to land on her lips. She would have been shocked at her own forwardness if it hadn't been what she'd always dreamed of when she whispered "You know, you can kiss me if you want to."

"I really want to." Finn's head dipped down to gently brush his lips against hers, his hand sweeping up to cradle the back of her head. She was lost in his kiss, the butterflies taking flight in her stomach as her own hands fisted into his t-shirt.

"I've been _dying_ to do that" Finn breathed when he finally pulled back, allowing her to catch her breath.

"You have no idea" she agreed, blinking up at him with a small smile. The romantic spell didn't last long though, as it was shot by the deep sound of laughter behind them.

"You gotta be shitting me..._Batshit Berry_?"

Rachel looked over at the laughing face of Noah Puckerman, Sam and Blaine chuckling behind him.

"Excuse me" she questioned, the fact that Finn had suddenly gone slightly stiff not lost on her. "What did you just say?"

"How did she get to you?" Puck's eyes traveled over to Frank who was now holding his hands up in the air, chuckling as well.

"Um, guys, this is Rachel, the girl I've been telling you about."

Rachel stared up at Finn who had settled now for holding her hand tightly in his. It made her heart skip to know that he'd thought enough of her to talk to his friends about her, and she was temporarily distracted by that notion before they were interrupted by the loud guffawing of his three band mates.

"This is too good. All this time Batshit Berry's the one you've been whacking it too" he choked out between his laughter, leaning on Sam as they both enjoyed a laugh at she and Finn's expense. "Who saw that coming?"

"I was not whack-"

"Judging by the way I just saw you mauling each other I guess it's safe to assume you two got in the sack before you came? The way you guys were jonesin' for each other I bet you stripped naked at hello."

Finn's cheeks only reddened deeper as he glared at his best friend. Rachel squeezed his hand in an effort to calm him before deciding to speak up again.

"I must say you don't seem to have changed at all Noah" Rachel said dryly, extending her free hand toward the mohawked man, much like the loud obnoxious boy she remembered seeing roam the halls of McKinley High. "It's a pleasure."

"Whoa babe, the name's Puck. I'd tell you to remember it cause you'll be screaming it later, but Finn obviously has dibs" he informed her, holding out a fist towards Finn after he released Rachel's hand. In spite of himself, Finn grinned and touched his hand to Puck's.

"Noah is your rightful name if I remember correctly, just as Rachel is mine, not _Batshit_ as you've so kindly dubbed me."

Finn grinned at her side as he watched Puck narrowing his eyes down at Rachel. "Wait a second, why are you saying everything like that, like we're old friends?"

"Rachel actually used to go to high school with us at McKinley, she was a few years behind us" Finn supplied. He watched as the shock, and sense of friendliness came over Sam and Blaine, and he stepped aside as they moved forward to introduce themselves.

"No shit, so you're from Ohio?" Rachel nodded excitedly, and a wicked smirk spread on Puck's face. "Well damn it's a small world. I meant to tell you before, but you were too busy fangirling over Berry here and we had to go onstage. Mr. Schuester called earlier today, he planned his Bachelor Party for after next week when the tour is over so we can come down and turn shit out with him."

"Dude, you're serious? If you're screwing around Puck I swear-" Finn started.

"Get your thong out of your ass Finnessa, I'm not lying. Call him yourself, he misses us" he shrugged.

Rachel knew that Mr. Schue was in fact supposed to be getting married over the summer and that the Glee club, including graduated members like herself, were going to get together and perform at the reception. She of course had no knowledge of when his bachelor party would be, but the timing seemed right, and she knew how much these boys meant to her favorite teacher. The realization that she might be seeing Finn again, and soon, hit her hard and she beamed as she turned to look up at him.

"You're coming home."

"Yeah, I guess I am" he grinned, pounding fists with his friend again. "I've really missed Mr. Schue."

"He's missed you all as well, even you Noah" she added, smirking over at him. "He always spoke very highly of you all and kept your legacy more than alive at McKinley; hanging up your posters and often using your music at Glee rehearsals. It didn't help my obsession with you _at all_."

"Mr. Schue always did have my back" Finn grinned before leaning down to capture her lips with his again. She heard the faint sound of groaning and what sounded like 'get a room' before Finn finally pulled back, brushing her hair gently behind her ear. Looking over his shoulder she noticed that all the boys were walking away, with the exception of Frank, standing by like the loyal bodyguard he was.

"You don't have to stick around Frank, we're good here" Finn breathed, smiling over at him.

Frank chuckled before holding his hands up. "Of course. I'm sorry I misjudged you Ms. Berry" he added, shooting Rachel a grin.

"No worries Frank, you were just doing your job. Now if you could please stop stalking us, it's kind of creepy" she added playfully, sticking her tongue out at the man. They all shared a laugh as Frank walked away from the pair.

"This is so much better" he stated suddenly, reaching down to link their hands together.

"What do you mean?"

"I was kind of really dreading our goodbye. We're getting ready to leave the city, and I was worried about whether or not I'd get to see you again."

"That shouldn't have even been a question, I always want to see you. I just hope you don't forget about _me_ before you come to Ohio" she said, looking down at the ground as she spoke.

"I don't see how that's possible" Finn answered, tipping her chin up to make her look into his eyes. "Is it weird if I say I'm going to miss you?"

"To the rest of the world, maybe. To me? Not at all."

"That's all that really matters" Finn smiled, bending down to press his lips to hers once more.

_**Thanks for reading! Stay Tuned!**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Glee or any of the characters. **_

_**I'm so sorry for the long wait on this update guys, but I'm finally here with the final chapter! As always, I hope that you enjoy! P.S. Firewifesara is awesome. That is all. **_

It had been three magical days since Finn and the rest of his band had come home for Mr. Schueseter's party. Rachel loved her former teacher, always had, but she had never been more thankful for their proximity than when her doorbell rang that Thursday morning and she opened the door to find Finn standing there. She had been ecstatic, flying forward to hug him instantly; she had no doubts whatsoever that he would catch her.

The two had spent more time on the phone than she thought possible the last week and a half that he was on the road. She was cheerfully greeted by him every morning, and wound up singing him to sleep each night. Their days were spent trading cutesy text messages or random phone calls about their day. He had realized quickly that being such a huge fan, Rachel already knew plenty about him. So he in turn asked her questions, playfully interviewing her sometimes like the people she had seen on television interview him and the band. It was funny and sweet, and he genuinely seemed interested in her answers each time. She was only increasingly more endeared to who she was certain was the love of her life with each passing day.

She hadn't outright told him that yet of course, that she loved him; or more aptly now that she was _in love_ with him. But she knew it, she always had. He was just giving her more assurance now that he was actually a physical part of her life. Physical in that she could see him, and hear his voice in person, and go to lunch with him, and curl her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck, like she was doing now.

Rachel's mouth opened into a silent scream as Finn's lips descended from her lips to nip at the sensitive skin of her neck. They were standing outside of the only place Puck had deemed worthy for Mr. Schuester's party that night; a small, discreet strip club nestled carefully in Lima, Ohio that Rachel never even knew existed until then. Regardless, she didn't care too much about the club itself, she cared when Finn had called her up, telling her that he missed her and he wanted to see her, _now_. Not needing to be told twice, Rachel had jumped into her car, written down the clubs address, and drove the short distance to it. Finn had been waiting outside for her, and swept her into his arms, pulling her to the side of the building to seal their lips in a hungry kiss that only faintly tasted of alcohol.

It wasn't all that different by this point; in the last three days he and Rachel had formed somewhat of a make out pattern. It appeared that he wanted to kiss her just as much if not more than she wanted to kiss him, and there was no way she was going to say no to him. She loved the way his large body fit over hers, the gentle way his warm hands caressed her skin almost like she was made of glass. His kiss was unlike anything she had ever known, and she was powerless to fight against the way he made her feel. Why would she want to? She knew how she felt about Finn, it's the way that she always had and it certainly seemed like he was catching up. So she couldn't bring herself to feel like things were moving too fast as Finn's body pressed hers into the brick wall of the building, his hands anchored on her hips as his mouth claimed hers.

"You okay" Finn asked, pulling back to look down at her flushed face. Rachel simply nodded at him, reaching out to take his hand and thread their fingers together.

"I'm fine. Are you?"

"I just wanted to see you" he shrugged, leaning down to place a gentle kiss on the top of her head. "I'm good now."

"So you want me to leave" she asked playfully, hands on her hips as she arched an eyebrow at him.

"Of course not" he chuckled. "Do you want to come inside? You look cold."

The wind was getting a little nippy at her exposed skin. And truth be told, she had worn the form fitting black dress and heels in hopes that she might get to join the party. She had never actually been inside a club before, and okay maybe it was bothering her a little more than she cared to admit that her boyfriend, or whatever he was to her, was at a strip club for a bachelor party.

"That sounds great" she chirped linking her arm through his as he led her back to the front of the building. She smiled when she saw Frank manning the doors, a serious look on his face until he realized it was just she and Finn emerging from the shadows.

"Miss Berry, good to see you again" he smiled, extending a large fist for her to pound. Finn chuckled from Rachel's side, she and Frank had the cutest relationship. She was so tiny compared to his huge bodyguard, and yet she always seemed at ease, facing him like he was just another kid on the playground. He knew that Frank liked that about her, he respected it, and Rachel loved the feeling of acceptance.

"It's actually good to see you this time too Frank" she answered, sticking her tongue out at him before showing her I.D to the men (thankful that it was an 18 and up club) and stepping into the club.

Finn led them over to a love seat and they sank down together. Looking across she could see her teacher, and it was more than a bit strange to see him looking slightly intoxicated with a group of women dancing all around him. But it was even stranger to see Noah Puckerman leaned forward in his seat, drool almost slipping from the corners of his mouth as he watched the gorgeous blonde woman move languidly in front of him. What made it weird was the fact that his eyes didn't seem to be roaming her body while tucking bills into her underwear, but rather they were glued to her strikingly beautiful face. Rachel smiled at them in spite of the fact that neither could see it, nor did they probably care in that moment.

Turning her attention, she noticed Sam by the bar hitting on yet another pretty bartender, but also the absence of Blaine, and turned to ask Finn about it. Apparently he had gone to the mall earlier, and struck up a friendship with someone who had recognized him, but was more concerned with the knock off scarf he had used to help cover his face. Rachel could only think of one person in Lima who that might be, and immediately started feeding Finn gossip about Kurt Hummel, another friend of hers from Glee Club. They sat like that, talking and sharing stories until a dancer finally approached their little cove. Rachel fell silent as the topless girl started to move in front of them, her hands trailing up her own body enticingly. Being completely straight, and completely in love with the man beside her, Rachel was unaffected, but she couldn't help but wonder if Finn would be.

Rachel leaned over asked the nearest hostess for a glass of water, and she returned with it only minutes later. She then offered Finn a sweet smile and leaned back in her seat to wordlessly watch the girl dance. She wasn't the only one to approach them, two more girls came by once she had finished her number, one of them a pretty blonde with the word _Tessa_ tattooed upside down and just above her panty line. She wondered if that was ironic, or if she was just kind of ditzy. Tessa in particular seemed to be very taken by Finn, dancing for two whole numbers, and crossing the boundary line to seat herself in his lap, nudging Rachel further into the arm of the chair with her calves.

She didn't retaliate in any form though, she simply smiled and enjoyed the panicked look on Finn's face at the blatant act, giggling when he tried to gently untangle the girl from around him and wound up accidentally dumping her on her behind. Served her right!

Once she was safely removed, Rachel subtly peeked down at Finn's crotch as she had been doing every time a different dancer came by. She had been relieved to find that there were no bulges to be found in his crotch area when each girl had appeared in front of him, and was relieved again to see that even though there had been a pretty, and very aggressive girl in his lap, he hadn't stirred.

"Um, Rach. Not that it's not kind of hot and all, but is there a reason you keep staring at my junk?"

Well, she thought she had been being subtle. Her cheeks pinked and she took dainty sips from her water, as she avoided his gaze. There was no point, she couldn't lie to him. "I, umm, well I was just...I suppose, _checking_ to see how much you were enjoying yourself" she stuttered, peeking up through her lashes timidly. To her surprise he chuckled at her, leaning closer to her in their seat.

"Enjoying myself?"

Rachel nodded, fallen to the spell his dark eyes cast over her. "Some of these girls are very pretty...and bendy."

Finn only laughed louder, so close now that she could feel the rumble of it. "So let me get this straight. You were checking to see if I was _getting hard_ over any of them?" Rachel nodded again. "How were your findings?"

"You've been very good" Rachel grinned, reaching out and patting his knee.

"Do you know why" he asked, leaning over closer to her on the seat. "Because there's only one woman that I want like that" he whispered, so close that his lips were only centimeters from her own. "Scarlett Johansen."

Rachel burst into a giggle at his playful words, leaning forward in spite of them and attaching her lips to his. He smiled into the kiss, his arm wrapping around her waist to pull her closer into his side while his other hand cupped her cheek, angling the kiss. She was nearly breathless when they finally broke apart, and the little oxygen she was holding onto was stolen from her when she looked back down at his crotch area where there was now a slight bulge.

"Me" she breathed, looking up at his ever darkening eyes.

"Only you" he replied seriously, bringing her hand up to place a kiss to her knuckles. She itched to bring that hand down, and touch the inviting bulge in his jeans. So she looped both of her arms around his neck, pulling herself up and into his lap.

"Then what are we still doing here" she questioned, shifting her bottom so that it purposely brushed over his crotch. She smiled at his low groan, toying with the hair at the nape of his neck.

"Wha-what?" He gulped when Rachel simply looked at him expectantly, and placed a hand on her exposed knee. "Rachel, I didn't mean to intimidate you, or pressure you into anything. I really _really_ like you, I don't want you to feel rushed into doing anything like that. I'll wait as long as you want me to" he assured her, peering up into her face.

Rachel squared her shoulders and tilted his chin up, matching his intense stare. "Finn Hudson, I've been waiting three years for you. I'd call that more than enough waiting" she told him. Looking over her shoulder she found that the men were much in the same positions as before; Puck still fawning over the beautiful blonde dancer, and Mr. Schuester looked even more drunk. She turned back to Finn and placed a quick, promising kiss to his eager lips, pulling back with a smile. "Go tell everyone goodnight, I'll be in the car."

* * *

Finn led Rachel up the path to his old house, searching through his keys until he found the one he was looking for. He quickly turned the key into the lock and ushered them both inside. Rachel had passed the Hudson residence many times over the last few years, but she had never dreamed she would actually be inside.

"This is a lovely home" she said, looking around at the wide den area. There were framed pictures of Finn from what looked middle school, high school, and band shots everywhere. Ms. Hudson was a very proud mother, everyone knew that. Noting the darkness and silence in the house, Rachel asked "Where is Ms. Hudson?"

"She was working the night shift tonight" Finn replied, taking Rachel's hand and leading her through the room. "Would you like the grand tour madam?"

Rachel giggled at his cheesy accent and linked her fingers through his. "I would, thank you kind sir."

He allowed her to look through the photos in the den, and the gorgeous little waterfall set up in the back corner of the room. He showed her the kitchen, which he claimed was always his favorite room of the house because his mom was an awesome cook; and even his old bedroom that still held his small twin sized bed and was decorated with a country western theme. She couldn't resist teasing him for that, and was still giggling when they reached his 'man cave'.

There were sports posters hanging everywhere, an over sized bean bag chair directly in front of a large television set and gaming system, a typical dart board on the far wall, and a huge pool table directly to her right. She immediately moved towards the large table, brushing the green felt with her fingertips. "You play pool?"

"Really good actually. I'm what you call a pool shark" he bragged, puffing out his chest slightly. Rachel smirked up at him, the large inviting table doing things to toy with her mind as she leaned against it.

"Well then, you'll have to show me your skills" she flirted, reaching out to grasp the bottom of his shirt to tug him towards her, hoping he caught up to her mood.

"Whenever you're ready" he answered, catching the double meaning in her words. Finn clutched her waist and touched his lips to hers, stroking the fire that was already starting to burn within her. Rachel sighed into his mouth, her body turning to goo as Finn's hips held her against the edge of the table. Her hands roamed the broad plane of his back, and it wasn't long before she reached around to bring his hands to the back of her dress. Sure hands slid the zipper down, and brushed the straps away from her shoulders. The nerves didn't start to catch up to her until the fabric slid down her, landing in a pile at their feet.

"So beautiful" Finn whispered, allowing his eyes to travel down her curves and back up to her face. He shot her a heart warming smile and leaned forward to meld his lips to hers again. Letting his approving words stroke her confidence, Rachel started to undress him as well, and soon they were standing together, bare as the day they were born, with her bottom balanced on the edge of the table.

"Are you sure about this Rach, we can stop now" Finn told her, cupping her cheek and staring down at her with concern swirling in the darkened tint of his eyes.

"I'm absolutely sure about you Finn. I kinda love you." The words spilled from her lips before she could stop them, but she wasn't embarrassed. It felt good to finally be able to really say it, especially given the circumstances.

Finn's twinkling smile made her heart soar, and she sighed in bliss when he bent down to retrieve a condom from his discarded pants. When he had put the latex on his admittedly intimidating length, Rachel leaned back slightly allowing him to align his hips with hers. She gripped his shoulders tightly and took deep breaths as he gripped her sides, steadying her. When he pushed forward, joining their bodies she cried out, her eyes snapping shut as she leaned her forehead against his shoulder.

"Are you okay? Should I stop" Finn asked, his own breathing slightly haggard as he stroked his fingertips soothingly over her back.

"No, I'm okay. Keep going" she told him, looking up at him with a watery smile.

Finn bent forward, kissing away her slight tears as he pulled back, and slowly pushed in further. He kept a slow, steady rhythm, drawing low, long whines from Rachel's throat as he worshiped her body. Her fingers dug into his shoulder blades and back, but if she was hurting him he wasn't showing it.

He was simply amazing. He made her feel like a goddess, like every single one of her nerve endings was on fire, and she was about to explode. She pulled back, releasing Finn's shoulders to brace her hands against the top of the table behind her. Following her body's instincts, she shifted her hips forward to match his thrusts, crying out at the different sensation. His pace immediately quickened, his strokes becoming even more pronounced as he held firmly to her hips on the table, unintelligible words falling from his own lips. He pushed her and coaxed her willing body until the stars burst behind her eyes and she soared into the highest levels of pleasure with Finn right by her side.

Spent, Rachel lay back on the surface of the table, allowing Finn to clean up. She closed her eyes as she held onto the afterglow feeling, and soon registered herself being lifted. Peeking up she saw the straight line of Finn's jaw, and relaxed into his embrace. He carried her into his old bedroom, and laid her down on the soft mattress. For modesty, he pulled back the sheets and covered her still naked body. "Go to sleep babe, we can take you home in the morning." Gentle lips brushed across her forehead, and she peeked again to find him walking out of the room.

"Where are you going?"

"I'll let you have my bed, I'll take the couch" he smiled, rubbing the back of his neck slightly at her frown. "I'm pretty huge, I take up a lot of space on that bed."

"Well then I guess we'll have to cuddle" she smiled, rolling onto her side and patting the space beside her. With a wide grin Finn padded forward, pulling back the sheets and turning on his side to fit onto the bed as well. He held her from behind, accepting the role as the big spoon, and nestled his face into the crook of her neck.

"Goodnight Rachel" he whispered. For the first time, _he_ started to sing softly to her as she drifted off, the rich, low timbre of his voice easily lulling her into sleep. Right before she went under, she would swear she heard the words "I kinda love you too."

* * *

Rachel stood on the side of the stage, watching Finn pound away on his drum set. She attended every show that she possibly could, as starry eyed to this day over the gorgeous man with the most beautiful heart she had even encountered, as she was all those years ago. The beam stretched her face when he started to sing along with the song, his voice ringing clear and strong with the other three boys. She was so proud of their band, they had come so far in the business. They were scheduled to perform at the Grammy's next week, and even though Finn, Puck, Blaine, and even Sam had been freaking out tremendously over it, she wasn't surprised. She always knew how talented they were, the drummer in particular, and she was so far beyond proud of them all.

She imagined it was a feeling kin to the way Finn said that he felt the first time he watched her perform on Broadway. From the beginning of their relationship, Finn had been an avid believer in her talent, and he pushed her to reach for her dreams like he had. It wasn't easy, and she expected as much, but he was right by her side the entire way; her rock. She eventually got a chorus role, which led to a supporting role, which ultimately got her enough cred to land her the dream role of Maria on the bright stage of Broadway. In spite of his own busy schedule, Finn had managed to make it to multiple showings of her performance, sometimes even surprising her with a bouquet of flowers.

It was a tough business to maintain a relationship in; juggling busy schedules, dealing with invasive paparazzi, and resisting the drama that the media tended to stir, but through it all they managed to make it work. They had been going strong for almost two years now, and according to a very large birdie whose name rhymed with 'Crank' there was a ring in her very near future. She beamed at the thought, instinctively looking down at her empty ring finger, wondering how long it would be before Finn asked. If he had any idea that she knew what he was planning, he'd be furious with Frank, but it really wasn't his fault that he couldn't keep anything from her. (He'd adopted Rachel as sort of a sidekick bodyguard when she was around after she brought Puck to his knees once for attempting to buy Finn a hooker for his birthday) and their partnership had only blossomed since.

She shook her head of the memories and turned her attention back to the love of her life just as he stood from his drum set at the end of the show. As was tradition, he looked over to where she stood, kissed the pads of his fingers and pointed to her. It really made no sense that the act would still send the butterflies soaring through her stomach, but it did, and she wouldn't have it any other way.

When he walked off of the stage, he came directly to her, sweeping her up into a hug and kissing her forehead. "Eww, you're all sweaty" Rachel said playfully, scrunching up her nose as she patted at the damp front of his shirt.

"What? Oh you mean here" he asked, pulling her into him and rubbing his sweaty body against hers.

"Eww Finn stop" she giggled, barely fighting against him in spite of herself. He was her man after all, sweaty or not. At least he still smelled good.

"Do you have plans for the rest of the night" he chuckled, releasing her to grab the bottle of water Frank brought over.

"Well I was under the impression that I'd be spending time with my boyfriend, given he takes a shower and changes first" she teased, accepting his hand and lacing their fingers together.

"Good, cause I have some awesome plans for my beautiful girlfriend tonight" he said, his eyes twinkling at her. Her heart squeezed in her chest at the implication, and she shot a furtive glance at Frank who was smiling widely at her before turning to walk away.

"That sounds lovely" she told Finn, ignoring the sizzling of her nerves as she leaned up on her tiptoes to press her lips to his quickly. "Do you have to stay later for anything, or-"

"Nah, I talked the guys into letting me sneak out early tonight" he grinned, furthering the pounding of Rachel's heart.

"Good, let's go home."

They said their goodbyes to the crew and to Frank, then Finn led Rachel out to the car. She had no idea how she was going to keep it together long enough for him to shower and get ready for their night, and she suspected that they might not make it out of the apartment the way she was feeling. She smiled brightly at Finn's flawless chivalry when he held open the door for her, just like he always had, and he always would.

_**Thank you all so much for reading, your supportive reviews, and your favs/follows! I hope that you have enjoyed this crazy little fic, it's been fun! **__**I'm also excited to tell you, that right now, I'm in the works of another project with none other than the amazingly awesome firewifesara.** **I can't wait until it's ready to share!  
**_


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